Bombay HC May Grant Akshay Kumar Protection Against Deepfake Videos & AI Misuse
Bombay High Court to consider ad-interim relief for Akshay Kumar to prevent unauthorized use of his image, voice, and likeness in AI content.
The Bombay High Court indicated on Wednesday that it may grant ad-interim relief to actor Akshay Kumar, shielding him from the unauthorised use of his image, voice, and likeness in AI-generated content and deepfake videos. The court observed that such misuse “not only hurts his stature but has huge consequences," reflecting growing concerns over digital impersonation in India’s entertainment industry.
Justice Arif Doctor heard the civil suit filed by Kumar, legally known as Akshay Hari Om Bhatia, who is seeking to restrain individuals and entities from commercially exploiting his persona without consent.
Senior Advocate Highlights Serious Risks
Representing the actor, Senior Advocate Birendra Saraf argued that the issue extends beyond personal grievance.
“These acts cause grave and irreparable harm to the plaintiff’s goodwill and reputation, dilute his personality and publicity rights, mislead the public, and amount to passing off, unfair competition, and unjust enrichment," the plea stated.
The petition details multiple instances of misuse, including deepfake videos, fake advertisements, and counterfeit merchandise, circulated across platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and several e-commerce websites.
Examples of Misrepresentation
The plea cited several recent incidents, including a fake film trailer released online in March 2025, which forced Kumar to publicly clarify his non-involvement. Other clips falsely depicted him as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and misrepresented his statements on Rishi Valmiki.
Saraf also highlighted platforms like Akshaykumar.ai, which allow users to generate audio mimicking Kumar’s voice.
“We are not seeking closure of the website, but we are seeking protection of the actor’s attributes," Saraf said.
Counterfeit products and fake social media accounts using the actor’s identity remain a persistent concern.
Growing Trend of Protecting Personality Rights
The Bombay High Court has recently extended similar protection to celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Karan Johar, Rishab Shetty, and Akkineni Nagarjuna. Earlier this month, it also restrained misuse of veteran singer Asha Bhosle’s name and likeness, including AI-generated voice replications.
Personality rights legally empower individuals to control the commercial use of their identity, protecting their name, image, voice, and other attributes. These rights are broadly divided into the Right to Publicity, preventing commercial exploitation without consent, and the Right to Privacy, shielding individuals from personal dignity intrusions including deepfakes and fake endorsements.
This move underscores how Indian courts are increasingly recognizing the challenges posed by AI and digital impersonation to celebrity rights.
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